Hamlin’s comments, which seemed pretty innocuous, still brought the wrath of NASCAR.

After the Phoenix race, Hamlin said the Gen 6 car “is like what the Generation 5 was at the beginning.” He also added that the car “did not race as good” as the Car of Tomorrow did.

Hamlin, who started in the back of the pack on Sunday, but finished third, also said that he didn’t pass many cars and that his move to the front was because of pit strategy.

“I hate to be Denny Downer, but I just didn’t pass that many cars,” he said. “That’s the realistic fact of it.”

NASCAR issued the following statement regarding the penalty:

“Following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Denny Hamlin made some disparaging remarks about the on-track racing that had taken place that afternoon. While NASCAR gives its competitors ample leeway in voicing their opinions when it comes to a wide range of aspects about the sport, the sanctioning body will not tolerate publicly made comments by its drivers that denigrate the racing product.”